Simple Flying
Jake Hardiman
13 Feb 2026
According to The Telegraph, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are advocating for a rework of the regulatory and financial framework that governs present operations at London Heathrow Airport.
The airlines argue that Heathrow is an expensive hub to serve in terms of the various charges levied against its carriers, and, with BA and Virgin being its largest operators, they are concerned about effectively bankrolling the project at the benefit of their rivals.
With this in mind, they don't believe the expansion can take place without a reform of the hub's funding model, with ex-Virgin CEO Shai Weiss saying:
"Despite having the highest passenger charges in the world, Heathrow is failing consumers, airlines and the UK economy, with ageing facilities and a declining customer experience."
